


Hood Ornaments & Picnic Blankets

by MistyBeethoven



Series: Cupid Poirot [2]
Category: Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV)
Genre: Cars, F/M, Hood Ornaments, Lagondas, Love, Matchmakers, Picnic Baskets, Picnics, Romantic Soulmates, gasoline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-30 17:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19407556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistyBeethoven/pseuds/MistyBeethoven
Summary: Arthur Hastings and Felicity Lemon find themselves stranded on a country road.





	Hood Ornaments & Picnic Blankets

"Have you checked the engine? Nothing's come loose has it?" Miss Lemon asked as she sat on the passenger side of the Lagonda. "It sounded rattly."

Captain Arthur Hastings threw her an amused glance as he climbed out of his beloved car to follow his sweetheart's suggestion.

The man and the woman had been in the vehicle, driving down a country road when the Lagonda had suddenly puttered and Arthur had barely managed to get it off of the road before it had died altogether. Not that they had to worry about other cars. The heaviest traffic the road seemed to have was a very slow caterpillar making its labourious journey across the gravel covered way.

The pair had been sitting there for several minutes sharing a little laugh about it all.

At the head of the automobile, Hastings opened the hatch to the engine and had a look around.

"Oh I _do_ hope Mr. Poirot won't be upset that we're late getting back," Miss Lemon said, suddenly worried about the wrath of their Belgian employee.

"I, dare say, I don't see why he would be," the Captain said gingerly touching a valve. "I can't say I even understand why he bothered sending us all the way out here in the first place."

Felicity nodded. It was true. Poirot had announced that morning suddenly that he required a certain document from a little orphanage a bit of a distance from Bristol. He had insisted that his secretary go with Captain Hastings in case they were more inclined to hand over the information if a woman was present. She had agreed wanting a few more moments alone with her love.

Poirot's faithful secretary and his best friend, the tall thin Captain Hastings, had been courting for months now ever since the mystery at End House. They had kept their relationship from the famous detective, Hercule Poirot, not wanting him to pry his little nose into their private matters.

Still, Arthur and Felicity had caught a knowing look in the little Belgian's eyes on the odd occasion and they wondered how much the man knew and how much he chose to let on.

Growing bored of sitting in the car while her love fooled around without luck in the car's engine, Miss Lemon hopped out of the automobile and joined Arthur at the head of the car. She jumped up on the hood and watched as the man worked away.

Hastings looked up to find her watching him with interest. She looked quite pretty sitting there in a jade green dress and a nice yellow hat resting attractively on her beautiful red hair.

Miss Lemon saw him staring at her and felt a blush creeping into her ivory cheeks. "What are you looking at Arthur Hastings?" she asked.

"You," he replied. "You have to be the most spectacular hood ornament, I have ever had the pleasure of setting my eyes on."

Felicity's blush deepened.

"Yes," Arthur said turning his attention away from the engine and resting it solely on the woman sitting on the Lagonda. "You could be one of those mermaids on the bow of a ship."

"Why Captain Arthur Hastings! Aren't those usually without clothing!" she said in mock outrage.

"Now there _is_ a thought!" Arthur exclaimed enthusiastically.

She hit his arm playfully and without force. "So have you found out what's wrong with it yet?"

"No," Hastings said looking at the engine in confusion.

"I hope when we're married you don't spend as much time with this car," Miss Lemon said jealously.

"No," Arthur tried to reassure the woman he loved. "I promise to spend more time in you."

His eyes widened when realizing the error in his word choice.

"I mean on you."

Both of their eyes widened.

"I mean..."

"I know what you mean," the woman said giving him a naughty wink and hopping down. She walked towards the back of the Lagonda, giving Arthur a moment to regain his overheated composure.

"What's this?" she asked looking into the vehicle's back seat.

Arthur came to join her.

There was a picnic basket hidden in the back beside what looked like a jug of gasoline.

Felicity and Arthur shared a shock glance before they opened the basket and found a note:

**_"My dear Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon. I know by now that the Lagonda has probably stopped and you are by the side of a beautiful country road. A perfect spot for a picnic, n'est-ce pas? After you have finished please use the gasoline to refill the tank. Until then... Amusez-vous bien! - Hercule Poirot"_ **

"Why..." Arthur said. "He has known the _whole_ time, the old boy!"

"Probably laughing behind our backs that we thought we were pulling the wool over his eyes!" Felicity commented.

"The blasted fellow is always one step ahead of us!" Arthur said flustered and amused all at once.

Miss Lemon looked into the back seat and pulled out a checkered picnic blanket. "What do you say Arthur Hastings? How about we eat and then you spend some time _on_ me and not your Lagonda?"

Arthur smiled. "I would say that is a _jolly_ good idea."

When the two returned to the office hours later, with dandelions and daisies on their clothing and in their hair, Poirot only smiled knowingly and happily.


End file.
